History/Folklore: Opium is extracted from the poppy heads before they have ripened (Grieve, 1971, p. 651). Opium and morphine do not produce the same calmative and hypnotic effects which characterize it’s use in man (Grieve, 1971, p. 652)

The following recipe is from the Fairfax Still-room book (published 1651):

‘To make a bath for Melancholy. Take Mallowes, pellitory of the wall, of each three handfulls; Camomell Flowers, Mellilot flowers, of each one handfull, senerick seed one ounce, and boil them in nine gallons of Water untill they come to three, then put in a quart of new milke and go into it bloud warme or something warmer.’ (Grieve, n.d.)

Of the Solonaceae herbs, Henbane tends to be weaker, containing only 0.4-0.15% stropine and hyoscyamine, however it contains more scopolamine, which is a sedative compound (McGuffin, Hobbs, Upton & Goldberg, 1997, p. 134)

Hoffmann describes Convallaria as a valuble heart remedy with an action equivilant to Digitalis without the potential toxic effects, however should only be used under qualified supervision (1990, p. 211)